


Hunger Pangs

by AceDetective



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series), Thomas Sanders
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Cold, Deceit Sanders Angst, Deceit has some snake like habits, Deceit is a big dumb, Deceit is a snek, Food mentions, Gen, He doesn't have a good time, Isolation, Past Friendship, Starvation, Sympathetic Deceit, Sympathetic Deceit Sanders, They still care about each other, Thomas shows up for one scene, hunger, sanders sides winter bang, throwing up, unnamed Dark Side oc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-09
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-10-24 16:49:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17708006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceDetective/pseuds/AceDetective
Summary: After Deceit's reveal, he isn't accepted as a Light Side, but is no longer a Dark Side, leaving him alone in the Mindscape. Unable to return to the Subconscious and unwilling to poise as a Light Side, Deceit is left with no choice but to survive on his own.





	Hunger Pangs

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to @i-aim-to-overanalyze for betaing this fic!!
> 
> Follow my Tumblr: @sanders-sides-fics

Deceit rose up back into his room in the Mindscape after his reveal to Thomas. Today's outcome could've been much  _ worse _ . Thomas knew about him. And for  _ everything _ !

Joan was never mad at Thomas. Deceit wasted precious time and effort convincing Thomas to lie in person, disregarding his nature as a Dark Side. Dark Sides were meant to live in the shadows, quietly manipulating the situation without Thomas' awareness, yet Thomas' panic led Deceit to believe he could succeed in an in-person confrontation.

In the end, Patton won out without physically being there! Thomas always listened to the fatherly Side, hence Deceit taking his place. Overlooked by the other Sides, but valued by the Host, Morality was the perfect candidate for Deceit to impersonate. If Morality thought lying was right, Thomas would listen. Deceit plan failed because,  _ of course, _ Patton wouldn't want to lie to Joan.

At least it was over and Deceit was back in the Subconscious. His room was colder than usual, he noted as he pulled his cape tighter around himself.  _ He _ was calm if it were this cold in the Subconscious.

An odd feeling settled in Deceit’s stomach, screaming at him that something was wrong. _He_ was never this calm. The Subconscious was always warm, too warm to many of the Sides. Only _he_ and Deceit were unbothered by the heat. Deceit shoved down the feeling. It was nothing more than him being paranoid after today’s defeat.

Nothing was wrong.

If Deceit were lucky, the others hadn't eaten yet and he wouldn't have to cook for himself. Today's excursion into the real world left Deceit drained and too tired to cook. He didn't know how the four Light Sides handled doing it so often. Perhaps they gained more energy from helping Thomas?

Deceit shook his head and opened the door of his room, only to be meet with pitch black surroundings and not the pale walls of the Subconscious. Deceit scrunched his eyebrow and glanced around.

Nothing.

Where was his room? This wasn't the Subconscious, and he knew this wasn’t the main section of the Mindscape, where the Light Sides lived. It must be a prank, or a punishment from the Light Sides.

Deceit stepped back into his room and shut the door. He closed his eyes and focused on the Mindscape, more specifically, the Subconscious. He pulled at it, attempting to move his room back to its proper place, but felt no change. Not even a nudge. His room hadn’t responded to his manipulation at all.

Frustrated, he opened his eyes and checked outside his room. It remained dark and empty. Deceit didn't know what it meant but knew there was no going back to the Subconscious, not permanently. 

* * *

 

That night, Deceit waited until he knew the other Dark Sides would be asleep. He was due back hours ago, but with his room no longer in the Subconscious, the others already knew something had changed. Deceit refused to risk an encounter with  _ him  _ until he had more information on his situation.

He rose up in the Dark Sides' kitchen and glanced around. The room was dark, lights turned off, and inhabitants retired to their rooms. With quiet feet, Deceit moved to the cupboard to find himself something to prepare.

The kitchen was hot. Uncomfortably so, even for Deceit.  _ He  _ was angry and Deceit didn't want to be caught. 

Deceit prepared his meal with swift hands. For now, he'd have to settle for a sandwich and some chips, until he knew it was safe to stick around. Before he left, he needed to grab the extra blankets from the linen closet. No one in the Subconscious would need them with  _ him  _ around, while Deceit's room would grow cold without the heat.

"Well, look what the raccoon dragged in? A wrangled little worm."

Deceit looked up from his meal to find  _ him  _ standing in the entry of the kitchen. The air in the room grew blisteringly hot as the Dark Side glared at Deceit, but all Deceit could feel was the ice that ran through his veins.

"Here we thought you were gone for good. Revealing yourself to Tommy like that."

"It  _ wasn't  _ necessary."

"Exactly, snakeface! We don't need to reveal ourselves to do our work, yet you chose to anyway!"

The Dark Side stalked toward Deceit until  _ he  _ stood before him.  _ He  _ reached out and poked Deceit's chest, the heat of  _ his  _ touch burning through Deceit’s shirt.

"You don't belong here. Get out!”

The heat flared and burned Deceit’s chest. Deceit hissed and leapt out of his chair and away from  _ him _ . The two Sides meet eyes, nervous mismatched eyes meeting furious red. Without looking away, Deceit sunk out. 

* * *

 

Deceit laid on his bed, the idea of moving made him nauseous. His stomach growled. The pain it brought reminded him that he hadn’t eaten in the past two days. The constant feeling of emptiness was nothing new. In the past year, his life had drastically changed from being the leader of the Dark Sides to . . . whatever it was that he did now.

His attempt to make Thomas lie to Joan didn’t go as planned and left him with dire consequences. He’d done a decent job hiding his situation from Thomas and the Light Sides. They hadn’t suspected anything in the few moments he was around. Deceit didn’t think they would, as long as he remained a nuisance.

He visited Virgil while the other was decorating to ward off their suspicion. It took up precious energy and left Deceit feeling drained, but ensured his weakness wasn’t detected. As far as anyone in the Mindscape knew, he was perfectly fine.

Deceit wasn’t fine, but no one needed to know.

Deceit didn’t need Thomas’ acceptance to do his job, but it would make it easier. Now, Thomas knew of his existence and refused to forget it. This refusal created a large problem for Deceit. He couldn’t return to life as a Dark Side yet didn’t belong as a Light Side.

In his rush to preserve Thomas’ friendship with Joan, Deceit gave up his status as a Dark Side. This act was unintentional, an unforeseen consequence of his failure. The actions he took were desperate. As part of Thomas’ self-preservation, the risk was worth it. Thomas couldn’t handle losing the friendship he had with Joan.

None of that mattered now.        

Deceit was something else. A neutral party. A part of no group. His room had shifted before he’d even sunk back down after the video and no amount of effort would force it back into the Subconscious, as Thomas refused to forget Deceit’s existence.

Deceit flinched as he remembered his expression when  _ he _ discovered Deceit in the Dark Sides’ kitchen the night everything changed. After that, Deceit gave up stealing and began summoning what he needed. The task wasted more energy than it provided for him. Anything he summoned, he created with his own energy. He couldn’t risk  _ him _ coming after him in this weakened state, nor could he reveal such weakness to the Light Sides.

Hunger gnawed at Deceit’s stomach. He let out a pitiful whine. 

Deceit only summoned food when he could no longer stand the hunger in his stomach. If he summoned every day, there was no chance of him surviving long. He only survived this far because Thomas couldn’t escape telling lies entirely.

Deceit rubbed his snake eye, thinking of the lies Thomas had told of late. The lies weren’t always small. Some were rather important. Important lies were ones that Morality agreed with. Lying about a friend’s orientation or identity was among them. It didn’t happen often, but the lies were enough to help Deceit survive from February 2018 to December 2018.

It wasn’t clear how much longer Deceit could make himself last. And his options were running out. 

There wasn’t anyone to turn to for help. He couldn’t ask the Dark Sides for help.  _ He  _ already made the Dark Sides’ stance on Deceit clear. Deceit gave up his status as one of them and had no place among them. This meant no help.

There was no turning to the Light Sides for help. They believed he was trouble and convincing them otherwise would be challenging. To them, Deceit would remain the villain. After twenty-nine years, Deceit knew his place in the Mindscape was not with the Light Sides. He once thought it was with the Dark Sides, but this proved false.

Deceit tried to sit up in bed. His stomach protested and bile teased the bottom of his throat, as he tried to keep it down. Unable to sit up, he looked around and spotted his reflection in the mirror on his dresser. The first thing he noticed was how his pale skin caused his snake features to stand out, ensuring it was impossible to mistake him for another member of the Mindscape.

_ “Oh, I hate him and his creepy . . . snake face!” _

Deceit flinched as Roman’s remark echoed in his mind. While Deceit never had a problem with his own appearance, he knew his irregular appearance played into the Light Sides’ rejection of him. Even if Deceit wanted to, he didn’t have the strength to shift away his snake-like features long enough to seek out the Light Sides.

There wasn't much else Deceit could do unless he stopped appearing to Thomas, so the Host would forget about him. It wasn't a good option either. If he disappeared for too long, the other Sides would suspect that something was amiss and drop in to ensure he wasn’t planning anything. The chance to save energy would do more harm than good.

Deceit refused to allow his situation to be discovered.

Thomas may hate Deceit, but it was still Deceit’s job to care for and protect the Host from everything he didn’t want to know. Keeping his own situation hidden did that, by preventing the Dark Sides from using it to force their own reveals and stopping Thomas facing the possibility that his actions harmed one of his Sides.

A new wave of exhaustion hit and Deceit curled up, deciding to sleep to save his strength.

When Deceit woke up, the hunger was much worse. His stomach growled loudly and lurched as he curled into himself. He breathed through his nose to calm the rising nausea. If he threw up, he wouldn't have the strength to clean it.

"Deceit!"

Deceit snapped to attention and prepared himself for the pull in his stomach. Before he was pulled to Thomas' living room, he shifted his clothes from his warm pajamas to his normal outfit. In the living room of Thomas’ apartment, he popped up, next to Morality and stepped to the side.

Deceit’s stomach churned after the rough pull into reality. He swallowed thickly and hid any signs of illness or weakness. He needed to get through whatever Thomas needed and return to his room, without hinting anything was wrong.

"I  _ wasn't  _ called?" he asked, adjusting his gloves.

Thomas faced Deceit with a pensive look on his face. The Host appeared anxious, something that didn't surprise Deceit.

“I need your help.”

Deceit stared at the Host, processing what he said. Thomas never called forth Deceit when he needed to lie. Of course, the Neutral Side welcomed himself into most of the situations, but never Thomas. Deceit controlled his expression to hide his surprise.

“I’m sure my expertise  _ isn’t  _ needed.”

“I don’t see why we need him here,” Roman snapped. “I can think of something by myself!”

Deceit glanced at the creative Side, eyes widening as he took in the disheveled appearance of the prince. It was clear, Roman had overworked himself in an effort to prevent Deceit from being necessary, as usual. Deceit didn’t see why this time would be such an important gesture that Roman couldn’t handle it.

Logan cleared his throat, “Thomas’ brother has requested Thomas lie to their mother about their family gathering for the holidays. His brother was previously unable to come home, but now is able to attend and wishes to surprise her.”

“Patton is  _ not  _ okay with this?” Deceit asked.

“It’s only two days and she’ll be so happy to see him,” Patton smiled.

If Patton was onboard, there was nothing to stop Thomas from going through with it. Lying to someone so dear to Thomas through a lie of omission . . . A lie like this would buy Deceit enough time to formulate a plan to survive.

“So, you’ll help?” Thomas asked.

“I  _ wouldn’t  _ dare.”

Deceit glanced at the only Side who hadn’t spoken while he was present. Virgil stared at him with a cool expression, eyes hardening upon noticing Deceit looking at him. 

* * *

 

Curled under his duvet, Deceit thought over the hour he spent helping Thomas. It went well. Thomas listened to his ideas and input along with the others. It was different than the time he impersonated Patton.

This time, Deceit was known. Out in the open. He wasn't trying to manipulate Thomas into going against Morality but working with him. 

The experience left Deceit feeling than he had in months. Energy surged into him the moment he returned to the Mindscape, enveloping him in its warmth. Sure, he was still weak, but far stronger than he was before.

If he wanted, he could summon something to eat and still have energy left over. The ache in his stomach throbbed at the idea, desperate for relief.  He hadn't eaten in days. His mouth watered as he imagined a savory chicken stew and fresh bread. It was tempting, too tempting, but he needed to wait.

Before he summoned a meal, he needed a plan. A plan that would keep the danger of fading far from Deceit. This small improvement wasn’t enough, it only prolonged the inevitable. Deceit needed a more permanent solution to his situation. If he could keep himself on Thomas’ good side, and continued to help, he might have his solution. Ensuring that Thomas continued to trust and rely on him was the most prominent problem.

_ “Leave me alone, you slippery snake!” _

Much like Roman, the Host had expressed his disliking of Deceit's appearance, primarily his snake features. They were . . . unsettling for those unused to Deceit's day to day appearance. Today, the Host seemed to look past these features, but as the embodiment of Thomas’ deceit, Deceit knew when Thomas was lying. The entire meeting, Thomas lied to himself, saying he liked having Deceit there.

The knowledge stung. His Host hated having him around.

Deceit remembered the idea he had the night before. At the time, shifting away his more grotesque features was impossible, but with this new burst of energy, it could be possible. It wouldn’t last, but if he could keep it up around the Light Sides and Thomas, he could succeed.

The Neutral Side stood glanced back at his mirror and swallowed the swell of nausea that rose in his throat at the thought of his next action. Deceit closed his eyes and focused on shifting his features. He imagined himself looking the way the other Sides, and Thomas did. Two brown eyes, smooth pale skin with the occasional freckle. No scales.

When he was done, he staggered, feeling faint. The change took energy and so would keeping it up. He opened his eyes and looked back in the mirror, where brown eyes met his gaze. A strange feeling twisted in his stomach, but he ignored it. He was just hungry. Nothing else.

Deceit raised a hand to the left side of his face and was met with smooth, soft skin. There was no scaled texture. He hadn’t simply put a façade over his scales, he got rid of them. Deceit couldn’t think of a reason anyone would touch his face, but it was better to take the precaution. He needed this plan to work.

All he needed to do now was test it. Deceit chewed the inside of his lip nervously, knowing he needed to sink into the Light Sides’ Common Room. To show them he was no longer a looming threat.

The plan was risky. There was no guarantee the Light Sides would believe Deceit looked normal now. It was his only chance though, unless he wanted them to know the reality of his situation. He couldn't look weak.

While his normal outfit was villainous, his casual clothes could make him look weak. In his room, he wore warm pajamas, sweaters, and jeans. Now that he was away from the Subconscious, he didn’t have a choice, but to wear them all the time, only changing when he needed to interact with Thomas. Few seen him that way in years. Only V Virgil.

Deceit hated it. That he ever allowed himself to grow close to another Side. They grew apart but the damage was done. If Deceit showed up in the Commons, wearing his normal attire, Virgil would call him out and ruin his plan. He had to show his vulnerable side to be believed.

Deceit checked the mirror, self-conscious of the yellow sweater he wore. And sunk into the Commons.

"Here goes  _ everything _ ." 

* * *

 

Deceit rose up in the Commons, where the Light Sides were preparing their dinner. The smell of food made Deceit’s mouth water. His stomach angrily reminded him of its empty state with a large growl. The small “pop” of his arrival caused Virgil to look up from where he sat on the counter, scrolling through his phone.

“Deceit!”

Virgil hopped off the counter and stormed over to the Neutral Side. As he left the small kitchen and approached Deceit, his eyes widened, noticing the change in Deceit’s appearance. Virgil stopped.

“Deceit?” he asked, voice softening.

Deceit gave a small nod, discreetly wrapping his arms around his empty stomach. Virgil knew how much he hated appearing anything but strong in front of others and would be looking for a sign of something being wrong. By the look in Virgil’s eyes, Deceit knew he was thinking exactly that.

“What’s with the shouting, kiddo?”

Patton entered the Commons with a full laundry basket balanced on his hip. When he spotted Deceit, he squinted.

“A new Side? Well, welcome to the Mindscape, kiddo!”

“N-no, Pat. This is Deceit,” Virgil corrected.

Patton tilted his head, “Oh. You look . . . different, Deceit. Are you okay?”

Deceit shook his head, while this was the truth, Patton would perceive it as a lie. 

“Absolutely  _ miserable _ .”

Deceit’s stomach growled once more, as the scent of the Light Sides’ dinner drafted over. Patton let out a laugh and set the laundry basket down on the couch.

“Would you like to stay for dinner? If the bear you swallowed doesn’t mind!”

Deceit blinked in surprise. The Light Sides were offering him a chance to eat? He almost didn’t trust it, but a real meal was too important to pass up, even if it had to be shared with the Light Sides. Before he could answer, Patton took him by the arm and led him to the table. Virgil followed, snickering, and set another place at the table.

“Padre! Virgil! Dinner smells magnificent!” Roman bound down the stairs. “A feast surely fit for a king!”

“Or a prince,” Virgil added as he set a cup in front of Deceit.

Roman let out an offended squawk and eyed Virgil. Deceit stayed still, his every instinct screaming for him to leave. He tensed as Roman’s gaze shifted from Virgil to him.

“Patton invited Deceit,” Virgil clarified. “He’ll explain his appearance after dinner.”

As Virgil finished speaking, he shot a look at Deceit. Deceit hid his flinch and gave Virgil a small smile. 

It wasn’t long before Patton brought out a large pot out from the kitchen, a ladle sticking out of the top. Deceit stuck out his tongue, breathing in the scent of the soup. Patton served everyone this share and set the pot in the middle of the table. One the table, there was already a basket of freshly cut bread and cut for them to spread onto it. Deceit contemplated grabbing a piece but decided against it.

He picked up his spoon and began to eat the first bite of  _ real _ food he’d eaten in nearly a year. The noodles were soft, having soaked in a good amount of the broth. The chicken was finely chopped and practically melted as he chewed. The taste was strong and warmth pooled in his stomach, in a way no summoned food could. Deceit smiled, contently. He knew to eat slowly, he wouldn’t get something like this again. 

“Taste good, kiddo?” Patton asked from beside him.

“ _ Terrible. _ ”

The dinner continued quietly. Deceit didn’t mind the lack of conversation as he slowly eased the pain in his stomach. Whenever it felt like too much, he stopped and drank the water in his cup. Deceit wanted to scarf down the meal and get more, but he knew he’d become ill and lose everything he ate. A lesson he learned earlier in the year.

Deceit felt himself relax, eyes heavy, and stomach as full as it could handle. He blinked slowly, looking down at his nearly empty bowl.

“Deceit,” Roman growled.

Deceit’s mind snapped back to attention. He looked to the prince, who sat across from him. Roman’s eyes were hard, a glare focused on Deceit.

“You lying snake!”

The Neutral Side stared confused. He hadn’t said but one word the entire dinner, giving no real opportunity to lie and set off Roman. Beside Deceit, Patton gave a gasp.

“Kiddo . . .”

"Patton welcomes you in our home and you deceive us!" Roman roared. "What? Was your plan to make us think you were a Light Side? By hiding your scales!"

Deceit raised a hand to his left cheek and felt it. His blood ran cold. The scales were back. At the realization, Deceit stood and pushed back from the table. His stomach protested the sudden movement, sensitive from its meal, but Deceit didn’t pay it mind. He sank out without a second thought.

He landed in his room, cold air stealing away any warmth gained from his meal. He shivered as he collapsed to the floor. Bile rose in his throat as he struggled to catch his breath.

He messed up. It was his one chance! There was no other way for him to survive in the Mindscape. He knew that and still allowed himself to fail!

Tears welled in his eyes and he wiped them away. He couldn’t afford to cry right now. Energy was too precious to waste on such an activity. Instead, he crawled to his bed as his stomach did flips. His nausea returned, this time from the food in his stomach, rather than the lack of it. He swallowed and crawled under the duvet. 

* * *

 

Virgil was sure that something was off. No other Side would understand, but he did. That wasn’t how Deceit acted. Ever. There was no doubt in his mind that it was Deceit who appeared in their Commons tonight, but something was wrong.

Dinner ended shortly after Deceit’s abrupt departure from the table. The entire time he helped Roman with the dishes, he thought over Deceit’s appearance. Deceit hated showing weakness, yet showed up here, vulnerable and exposed. 

Instead of the usual outfit he wore to put them on guard, he wore his warmest sweater and softest jeans. Clothes that Virgil knew he only wore in his room when  _ he  _ was too calm to keep the Subconscious warm. Those occasions were rare. This was something else.

“We need to go see Deceit,” Virgil finished drying off the glass in his hand.

Roman sneered and roughly scrubbed the pot in his hands, “He’s a creep, Virgil! That’s all!”

“I think something else is going on.”

Virgil didn’t know what yet, but they were going to figure it out. Roman groaned without making an argument against looking for the deceitful Side. The two finished the dishes in silence and went to find the other two Light Sides.

Logan was easiest to find. After dinner, he liked to sit in the Commons and read. Logan looked up when Virgil and Roman left the kitchen and placed his bookmark into his book, before setting it on the arm of his chair.

“I take it that we are paying Deceit a visit?”

“How’d you know?” Roman asked.

Logan adjusted his glasses, “I heard you in the kitchen.”

Logan stood from his chair and followed Virgil out of the Commons to find Patton. 

* * *

 

Deceit shivered as another wave of nausea wracked his body. The meal he’d shared with the Light Sides had resurfaced and now claimed his floor as its home. He coughed over the side of his bed and tears leaked down his cheeks.

He hated this.

Deceit curled into himself. He hadn’t stopped heaving since he sank into his room. Finally, Deceit’s stomach seemed to realize it was empty, with nothing left to force out. He let out a tired whine. 

He cursed his snake traits as he breathed through his mouth, nose wrinkling as his tongue detected the scent of vomit in the air.

Exhaustion settled in once his stomach finished involuntarily emptying. It soaked into his muscles, taking root in his bones. Deceit couldn’t get up if he wanted to, and luckily, he didn't. He wanted to sleep and forget today ever happened.

His eyelids were heavy and Deceit could no longer bear the burden of keeping them open. As his eyes fluttered shut, a soft swoosh sound swept through his room. Deceit paid it no mind, finally allowing his body rest.

“Deceit!”  _ V? _

“Uck! Did Kaa throw up?” _ Creativity? _

What was V doing around the Light Sides?

“V . . . ?” he forced out.

“V?” he heard someone ask quietly.

Deceit clung to consciousness, despite the aching need to let go. He forced one eye open to see if anyone was actually there.

It was hard to see. His eye kept closing as he fought off unconsciousness. Deceit could see enough to figure out the darkest blur in his room was Virgil. He smiled and started to relax. He’d be fine if V was there . . . 

“No, Dee, stay awake.”

V stepped around the mess on the floor and sat down on Deceit’s bed.

“Let’s get you somewhere warm, yeah?”

Deceit looked up, struggling to keep his eyes focused on V. V looked scared. Deceit supposed that was normal for V. The other represented Thomas’ fears and anxieties. V was always scared. Deceit couldn’t blame him, some of the other Dark Sides were frightening.

V reached out and started to pull the duvet from on top of Deceit. Cold air seeped into Deceit’s body, making him shiver. As if noticing this, V stopped and put the duvet back on Deceit.

“I’m going to pick you up, is that alright?”

Deceit nodded. V waited a moment, before picking Deceit up and holding him close to his chest. Deceit let out a whine as V adjusted his hold to better cover Deceit with his duvet.

“Kiddo?”  _ Morality? _

Deceit rested his head against V’s chest and closed his eyes once more.

“Yeah, Pat?” V’s chest vibrated against Deceit as he spoke.

“How did you know where to find Deceit?”

Deceit felt V stiffen and his grip on Deceit tighten. V took a breath and released it slowly.

“My room . . . did this when I first left the Dark Sides . . .”

Deceit couldn’t tell what that meant, as he slowly started to drift off again. V was a Dark Side, they both were. Whatever V meant could wait until he slept. 

* * *

Returning to the Light Sides’ part of the Mindscape was a quiet affair. Virgil held Deceit close to him and watched the others disperse. Patton, to the kitchens, to prepare something easy for Deceit to eat. Logan, to the Library, to research what happened. And Roman . . . he fluttered around the Commons, a guilt-stricken look on his face, until he disappeared up the stairs to his room.

Virgil set Deceit down on the couch of the Commons. Sitting down, he maneuvered Deceit so that his head rested on Virgil’s lap. Virgil was strong, he needed to be as Thomas’ flight or fight, but Deceit should still be hard to carry. He wasn’t. It was far too easy to pick up and carry his childhood friend.

He frowned.

Deceit wasn’t one to show weakness. Even cut off from all energy and warmth in Thomas’ mind, Deceit didn’t seek out help. And Virgil  _ knew _ Deceit was there a while. Virgil’s own time in the Void only lasted a few days. Deceit’s time there was much longer.

Virgil knew something was wrong before, but never could place it. He glanced down at his old friend, who clung to him in his unconsciousness. They weren’t friends anymore, but Virgil couldn’t shake the horrible feeling in his stomach.

“Virgil . . . what exactly occurred today?”

Virgil looked up to Logan, who sat down on the other edge of the couch. Logan appeared confused and Virgil could make out the slightest bit of concern in his eyes. Virgil had looked before, the Library had no information on the Void. And it wasn’t on the map of the Mindscape.

“The Void. It’s like the Subconscious, only it is meant for parts of Thomas that he knows about and has rejected entirely . . .”

Logan nodded slowly, “And you stated your room was once there. Was that when you-?”

“Ducked out? No.” Virgil frowned, “You don’t choose to end up there.”

Logan was silent. Virgil followed Logan's gaze as it shifted to focus on Deceit's sleeping form. Deceit looked small . . . vulnerable. A side of Deceit that Virgil knew the other Light Sides had never seen before.

“How can we mend this?” Logan asked softly.

“We talk to Thomas and move Deceit’s room from the Void.”

Logan hummed in agreement, not taking his eyes away from Deceit.


End file.
